Approach to Therapy

I went back to school and received an Honours BA in Psychology, a certificate in Health Sciences with a specialty in Psychotherapy, and a MA in Counselling Psychology from OISE at the University of Toronto. I expanded my knowledge of couples and families at Guelph University completing a post-graduate certificate in family and marriage counseling.

My therapy is informed by my own life experience. Personal change benefits from company, and I have been very lucky to have mentors, friends and therapists to rely on as I have developed through my life. I know first hand the adventure of personal therapy. My life partner and I have benefited from therapy through the course of our 29 year relationship and this allowed us to find each other despite the external stressors that sometimes made this difficult. Too often we can feel alone in a journey of change. Therapy provides a structured relationship where insight about you can become more accessible.

In my therapy I draw deeply on attachment theory. I believe that humans long to be part of a safe clan from where they can explore the world. Starting in infancy we weave our experience of who we are through other people. These relationships help build our sense of self and our sense of security. They allow a place from where we can let our minds free to roam and explore in our own unique way. I believe the work a person does with a therapist can help them discover areas where their personality and temperament impact their goals. I think it can help a person explore how the past has created patterns of being and interacting with other people. The most current research in cognitive neuroscience and attachment reinforces these principles and tells us how the brain is wired based on our emotional experiences with other people. These important and defining relationships teach our brains what to expect from the world, shape how we perceive ourselves and others, and influence our choices and behaviors.  I think therapy can help a person to be with the subtle processes of their mind. Psychodynamic technique facilitates a deep exploration of your emotions and helps you put words to feelings. Being with someone as you slow down and allow yourself to show your mind with another person is an experience like no other. This process can bring about emotional insight. This kind of insight is very different than just intellectually understanding yourself and goes far deeper to where you begin to experience yourself in a richer way.

The safety, confidentiality, and security of a therapeutic relationship can provide the space wherein a person can learn to accept who they are, and to creatively move towards desired change.

My work as a midwife has informed my approach to therapy. Childbirth, which I see as normal and healthy, is yet, at points, very painful and frightening. Life is very much the same: at some points there are painful and frightening periods. During those times a person may feel like it isn’t normal to feel the way they feel, or that they just cannot manage. I engage with your issues from a strong conviction that these struggles are a normal part of being human. The struggle is made infinitely more difficult when we feel alone. Working with you as an individual or a couple, I will help you find ways to move towards connection and bonding as the requisite component of coping.